Muhammad Ali, widely hailed as the greatest heavyweight boxer in the sport’s history, died Friday.

Muhammad Ali on earlies day

Muhammad Ali, an American icon and boxing legend, died at the age of 74. In 1964, he stunned the world by defeating Sonny Liston for the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World, at the age of 22. Three years later, in 1967, Muhammad Ali once again emerged as a champion, when he risked it all and refused to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War.

The word champion has never fit a man better. Muhammad Ali was a champion for peace, a champion for justice, and a champion for equality. He was a man who gained fame in a violent game, but immortality as a gentle and caring soul. In the ring, there was no one better, but his contributions to humanity managed to eclipse his boxing prowess.

I remember watching every one of his championship fights. I remember waiting for him at Standiford Field when he returned home after beating Liston, thinking to myself that I had never seen a more perfect human being. And I remember the loud-mouthed speedster by the name of Cassius Marcellus Clay, whose fights in and out of the ring would one day make him Muhammad Ali—a selfless giant who put principles over everything and never forgot the city he called home.

I am just one of the many in Louisville whose heart aches for the loss of my friend, and yet, every corner of our community is better for his impact. At a time when fame so often comes with questionable character, Muhammad Ali is an ever present reminder that the most famous person in the world can be a real life hero. He really was the greatest. #RIP